Manila Bay Restaurant

Manila Bay restaurant is a place I’ve been visiting for quite some time now. As a frequent traveler to the Philippines you sometimes miss their food. The only authentic Filipino restaurant in the general vicinity is Manila Bay. Food is awesome, portions are plentiful and me and Mrs. Mikey enjoy ourselves every time we visit. Some of the dishes Mikey recommends is first and foremost “Mt. Pinatubo pork”, named after a volcano along the Zambales mountain range in the province of Pampanga, island of Luzon. This dish has succulent strips of grilled marinated pork with a variety of vegetables cooked ever so slightly and of course white rice. Another dish high on my list is chicken or pork adobo which is one of the most popular Filipino dishes. Adobo is made with a garlic and vinegar sauce with white rice. Oh and how can you forget their Shanghai lumpia which consists of ground pork, carrots, garlic, spices fried in what can best be described as an egg roll.

I’m only scratching the surface of what Manila Bay has to offer, for a complete list or menu please refer to their website link below. Manila Bay also has a fully stocked bar with a wide variety of beer and liquor and tell me what is a Filipino meal without karaoke? Yes that’s right karaoke, if you haven’t tried it yet, have a couple of cold beverages and grab the microphone.

Lastly, you must have dessert and allow me to give you a few of my favorites, halo-halo (extremely refreshing), don’t ask just try it, you’ll like it, trust me. Also there’s leche’ flan again don’t ask,  just try it, it’s awesome. In summation, you’ll be hard pressed to find something distasteful on their menu, go ahead and give it a shot. Located in Philadelphia at 6724 Castor Ave. phone- 215-722-7877

On a scale of 1 to 5 Mikey gives it a 4.9 and guess what, the prices are highly affordable.

http://www.manila-bay.com/1.html

Luigi’s Pizza Fresca

Me and Mrs. Mikey discovered this establishment by mistake and we’re both very very happy we did. I’ve been by Luigi’s a million times and never noticed it, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. When entering Luigi’s I immediately had this feeling of old school Philadelphia and without sampling anything I exclaimed we may have a winner here. Well my instincts were correct! Luigi’s has a wide variety of Italian food to choose from and I would say pizza is their specialty, only they do so much more than that, probably best to say they specialize in all things Italian. The first night I tried a slice of their vegetable pizza which was bursting with fresh vegetables and healthy heapings of cheese. In addition I had a sausage parmesan sandwich and they did it the old school way which is to toast the bread so that it’s crunchy. Mrs. Mikey had a chicken cheesesteak supreme, which has peppers, onions and mushrooms.

The other night we both had chicken parmesan with mushrooms and this dish was simply awesome. I do have to warn you as Luigi’s is probably the worst kept secret in South Jersey and with that said it is very popular. Get there early and enjoy some of the best Italian food you’ll ever want to try at an affordable price. For your convenience there are three locations, Philadelphia, Burlington, N.J. and the original restaurant in Marlton, N.J.

Marlton is located at 529 Old Marlton Pike, Marlton, N.J. 08053 856-810-8888…Philadelphia 24th & Fairmount Ave. Philadelphia, Pa. 215-769-8888 and Burlington is 1700 Columbus Road, corner of Columbus & Neck Road, Burlington, N.J. 609-239-8888

Again get there early because these restaurants are amazingly popular and for good reason.

Megu Sushi (quality at an affordable price)

There are several good quality sushi spots throughout the Philadelphia/ South Jersey scene but few stand out like Megu Sushi. Mikey considers himself somewhat of a sushi connoisseur and quite frankly I’ve had the best and the worst of this type of cuisine. With that said if you’re looking to get a high quality satisfying meal I can think of very few places that would rival Megu Sushi. Located right off of route 70 in Cherry Hill, N.J. this is a must visit spot and Mikey guarantees you will enjoy your time there. The cuts of fish are perfect and plentiful, their cooked food is just as exquisite. For the family looking for a high quality spot at a truly affordable price look no further than Megu. On a scale of 1 to 5 with five being best, Mikey rates this place a 4.99999, it’s just that good.

Also Megu is a BYOB establishment so don’t forget your favourite wine.

You must try their raw scallops, sweet and delectable, also try the yellow tail succulent and generous with respect to portions. Mikey also highly recommends the beef negemaki which is thinly sliced beef rolled with scallion broiled with teryaki sauce. There’s so much for you to sample and the only way to do it is take an evening off with your family or loved ones and get your fanny over to Megu Sushi. Mikey says you will NOT BE SORRY! THIS I GUARANTEE!!!!!

http://www.megusushi.com/

Crystal Light “On the go”

I happened upon Cystal Light when visiting a friends house. It was hot outside and I was parched from the heat. In asking for something non-alcoholic to drink he offered me something called Crystal Light. My friend like myself is borderline diabetic so we are both careful not to drink beverages soaked in sugar. If my memory serves me correct it was the “rasberry ice” flavor. All I could remember was it had just the right amount of sweetness and it was very tasty and of course did the job in quenching my thirst. I immediately asked my buddy “what is this stuff?” and he told me Crystal Light.

A couple of weeks later I saw something called Crystal Light “on the go” on the shelf at the local Wal-Mart. I bought it took it home and did not realize the box had individual pouches in there. Each pouch was designed to create juice from a 16.9 ounce bottle of spring water. I thought to myself how convenient. So I took a bottle of spring water, took a small sip then emptied the contents of the pouch into the bottle. Shake it up and presto, you have an extremely flavorful, sugar free fruit or tea drink.

Crystal Light has many flavors to choose from, one of my favorites is raspberry flavored green tea.

Mikey says you must try this as a quick on the go quality tasting drink.

Awesome stuff.

Cottage Kitchen Cafe

From time to time I visit places that are literally on the other side of the world. In this instance the Philippines or the P.I. as it is affectionately referred to as. I like to visit a small town named Angeles City right outside the old Clark Airfield. When I do go to Angeles one of my favourite restaurants anywhere in the world is right there. The Cottage Kitchen Cafe is a creole down south breakfast through dinner joint whose food is simply some of the best you will find anywhere. If you’re a pork rib man or woman, you must try Jim’s (Jim Sebree) famous ribs. They’re always cooked to perfection, meat so tender it melts in your mouth. His homemade bar-b-que sauce MASARAP! which means delicious in Tagalog or the Filipino language.

Jim also specializes in fried fish, beef spare ribs, collard greens, potato salad, cole slaw you name it he has it. He also boasts a full menu of traditional Filipino food. His wait staff are very friendly, helpful and oh yeah quite attractive. One last thing Jim and his wonderful wife Elvie have a great bar with a great selection of wines, beer and liquor. Mikey highly recommends this cozy little joint for any occasion whether its a nice evening out or a special occasion, ie wedding anniversary, birthday, etc.

http://www.members.tripod.com/cottagecafe/

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

You know every now and then we all have to satisfy our carnivorous tendencies and chomp down on a burger. There are plenty of class A burger joints out there, but if you’re ever in the Philadelphia area, you must bear witness to the infamous burger chain entitled Five Guys Burgers and Fries. They specialize in only four or five items, and specialize is a great word. I understand now Five Guys can be found in practically every state. Back to their burgers. Their burgers are built to order with all the trimmings or you tell them what you want and they build it. Burgers are thick, juicy and handmade totally devoid of that McDonald’s or Wendy’s feel. You get a real burger that’s big and satisfying.

Oh I forgot to add, Five Guys will not nickel and dime you with extra charges for trimmings, all trimmings or toppings are completely free and generous.

They also serve french fries which are highly unique both in taste and look, veggie sandwich’s, kosher dogs, but hey who’s kidding who? You come for their world famous burgers. Mikey rates this place right up at the top, staff always courteous, stores are always clean.

http://www.fiveguys.com/

Honest Tea

For the iced tea lovers out there, I happened upon a really good iced tea without all the sugar some of the leading brands tend to favour. I hate iced tea drowned in sugar or that stuff they call “sweet tea”. Sorry for the sweet tea lovers but as the old adage goes, “the truth will set you free”.

Having said that, Honest Iced Tea has very little sugar in it, or just enough to take away the bitterness. That said this stuff is perfect and refreshing. Another good thing about “Honest” tea is their tea leaves are organically grown which means it is devoid of all the chemicals that may come with tea leaves that are grown the traditional way.

For those who like good old fashioned iced tea, with very little sugar I highly recommend you give this a try. By the way Honest tea comes in a variety of flavours and I just so happened to sample the Organic Peach White Tea. Absolutely awesome, Mikey really likes this tea.

http://www.honesttea.com

Fat Jack’s BBQ (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Part I

I visited Fat Jack’s BBQ today and to my surprise the food was quite tasty. I’m very, very picky about my BBQ as I’ve had really good BBQ and really bad in my travels. Now I’m going to call this “part I” as I have yet to taste a few of their signature dishes, ie. pulled pork and BBQ ribs.

What I did have today, knocked my socks off. I’ve had hot wings literally all over the world, and what I tasted today is right up there with the best EVER! Why? Because they have a highly unique cooking process whereby they smoke their wings to perfection and then smother them in a tangy yet hot sauce. In the end you have a richly smoked tangy hot wing. Take the wings with a bit of blue cheese and crisp celery and you have nothing short of heaven. On a scale of 1 to five, I rate their wings a 5.5!! They are that good. By the way the official name of their wings are “Championship Wings”

I also tried a sampling of their “Buzzard’s breath chili”. Once again, unique and tasty with chunks of extremely tender beef brisket, beans, peppers onions and a host of spices. You have to try it, but allow me to warn you, this stuff is addictive.

Lastly I had their smashed potatoes topped with a mild country gravy. Obviously homemade and full of flavour.

Now let me state for the record, Fat Jack’s is a franchise and I can only speak for the Cherry Hill store. This store is over the top clean, the staff is hospitable and my experience overall was great. In short and in the words of the late great General MacArthur, “I shall return”. Oh yeah, when you stop by don’t forget to say hello to JC and Ryan.

2091 Route 70, Cherry Hill, N.J. (856)751-4227

Terra exotic vegetable chips (Med.)

Admittedly I’m not a big potato chip fan, chiefly due to the overall lack of benefits from a health perspective. That said, I happened upon a sale on chips that caught my eye. The attractive packaging and the multi-coloured chips more specifically. At closer look these chips are made of fried sweet potatoes, taro, yuca, batata and parsnip.

Surprising tasteful, crunchy and an overall pleasant experience. The flavour is Mediterranean with hints of garlic, oregano, olive oil and lemon.

Not saying these chips will replace a bottle of Centrum vitamins but they do appear to be a healthier alternative and after all, isn’t that what we’re all after?

Mikey gives these chips a five star rating, meaning you will not be disappointed.

http://www.terrachips.com

Nivea shaving gel (normal to dry skin)

Admittedly I’m a fairly practical guy, who believes in spending his hard earned money sensibly. Having said that, there are certain things you may have to spend a little extra on. One of those things is the quality shave you get in the morning. With a good quality shave it sort of sets the tone for the remainder of the day. I would say my skin is somewhat normal, definitely not oily and for the most part not dry. The other day I was looking to change the shaving cream I normally use and try something perhaps a little more expensive but well worth it. I happened upon a shave gel called Nivea for Men with skin guard technology. My skin is a little on the sensitive side so the “skin guard” on the label got my attention.

My first shave was different from any other shaving experience, in that the blade seemed to glide across my face while delivering as close a shave as the blade would allow. At the end of the shave my face felt clean, refreshed and moisturized. This is the type of shave that makes you want to get out the door and attack the work week. Maybe it’s me but it does make a difference.

A closer look at the label tells us that it is an “ultra thick” gel. I can definitely attest to that, in fact it felt thicker than any other shaving gel I’ve ever used.

The “skin guard” creates a protective barrier between the razor and the skin without compromising the closeness of the shave.

The results as I previously stated is a fresh clean shave, that gives you a sense of invigoration even before you use after shave.

Mikey really likes this product and recommends it to anyone looking to feel energized after your morning shave.